DECONSTRUThttps://deconstrut.com
Taking things apart and making it your ownThu, 15 Feb 2018 12:00:17 +0000en-CAhourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4DIY | TEDDY FAUX FUR COAThttps://deconstrut.com/2018/02/diy-teddy-faux-fur-coat/
https://deconstrut.com/2018/02/diy-teddy-faux-fur-coat/#respondThu, 15 Feb 2018 12:00:17 +0000https://deconstrut.com/?p=2124After January, people say there’s only about 6 weeks of winter left but if you live where I do you know that you’re bound to get at least 2 months more of snow and chilly nights. To combat that I decided to make my own teddy coat to stay snuggly and cuddled for the remainder more »

After January, people say there’s only about 6 weeks of winter left but if you live where I do you know that you’re bound to get at least 2 months more of snow and chilly nights. To combat that I decided to make my own teddy coat to stay snuggly and cuddled for the remainder of this winter. The teddy coat trend has been super popular this winter season and all the styles I fell in love with were non-stop sold out so I decided to make my own. To say the least, this was the most complex DIY I’ve ever made and there were a lot of do and redo to create this teddy coat. But I am absolutely in love with the end result and you will be seeing me wearing this a lot more as we move away from the deep freeze and into a bit more warmer winter weather.

The teddy coat is definitely a milder winter weather type of a coat but it looks super cute and ultra fuzzy that everyone will want to cuddle you like a teddy bear! Perfect for those -10 winter snow days where everything looks like a winter wonderland. I created my own pattern for the teddy coat off of an older wool coat. I definitely could of used a bit more room in the arms as I did find my final piece was a bit too snug to fit a bulky sweater underneath. With that in mind, be sure to pick up some cuddly AF fabric from your local fabric store! I am absolutely in love with the faux fur fabric that I picked up from Fabricland (scored it on sale too!), any sort of faux fur material will do well with this style of coat, even a sherpa type fleece could work! The fuzzier the better to get those teddy bear vibes!

None the less, if you’re ready to take on the big teddy coat challenge please read on! I found it was easier to show you guys images of the pattern pieces and explain the steps in a more detailed manner than to show process pictures like I have previously done in other DIY projects. If you guys need more details just comment down below and I’ll try my best to show how it’s done!

TIME | 6+ hours

COST | $$

DIFFICULTY | very difficult, sewing skills required

Teddy Coat Inspiration: I looked online at a lot of different teddy style coats and my favourite by far were the ones from Topshop. I opted out of doing welt pockets as that was another level of complexity I wasn’t ready to tackle with sewing faux fur for the first time and opted for in seam side pockets. (Side note: I did try patch pockets but I found that they looked too bulky and the execution on them just made the coat look less luxurious. Hence the switch to side seam pockets, you can see the process videos from my Instagram, in my story highlights!)

What you’ll need

Faux fur material (around 2 meters, but I would get extra to be safe)

Lining material (2 meters)

Interfacing (1 meter)

Large snap buttons (30mm in diameter)

Sewing machine

Needles and matching thread

Pattern Pieces

I drafted my own pattern based roughly off of an existing wool coat I had, please adjust the pattern to your liking. I do wish I had made the arms wider so I could layer a larger sweater so if that’s something you would like, be sure to add more space for the sleeves. In terms of sizing, I would say this would fit anyone who wears an XS, 25″ waist or a 0. You can download the PDF version of this pattern file here. This pattern does not accommodate for seam allowance.

Fit | Body Skimming

Length | Hip Length

Warmth | Good for mild winter days

Steps

This is a hefty tutorial so I’ll try to break it down into the following sections: Outer, pockets, inner and finishing. Ready to embark on the most intense DIY ever? Read on!

Outer Faux Fur Layer

Cut all pattern pieces with 1/2 inch seam allowance. I would allow for more on the wrist side of the sleeves so you can cuff it back when finishing the sleeves.

Hand tack interfacing to pieces Front Inner Panel AA, Front Inner Panel BB, Back Lapel Collar A and the Back Panel Inside piece. These are the pieces that will be on the inside of the outer layer pieces, the interfacing should be tacked onto the back of the faux fur pieces. You will eventually be removing these stitches.

Sew the shoulder seams of piece Front Panel A and Front Panel B to the Back Panel for the outside layer, and do the same to the faux fur pieces of Front Inner Panel AA, Front Inner Panel BB and the Back Panel Inside for the inside of the jacket, good sides facing together.

Sew on the Back Lapel Collar A, to the outside piece of step 3 and Back Lapel Collar B to the inside piece from step 3, good sides facing together.

Take both outside faux fur layer and the inside faux fur layer, good sides facing together, sew the outer edge of the back lapel collar A & B and the front seams of Front Panel AA and Front Panel BB to their corresponding pieces.

Notch the inside seams, flip it right side out and tuck the seams so that you can get sharp corners and rounded edges all around the lapel collar.

Attach the sleeves to the main piece from the shoulder seam.

Before finishing the side hems and closing the sleeves, see the next steps for the pockets.

Pockets (Be sure to check this out if you want to learn how to do inseam pockets)

Sew the faux fur piece of the pocket to the Back Panel of the outer layer, do the same on both sides. Be sure to measure and mark clearly where you want the pockets to start and end to create the 6″ pocket opening needed. I placed mine around waist height.

Sew the lining piece of the pocket to the front side of the outer layer. Make sure it is aligned with the back pocket piece that was just sewn.

Be sure to back stitch on the bottom edge of the pocket on both lining piece and faux fur piece.

With the good sides facing and pinned, sew around the perimeter of the pocket to form the pouch.

Finish off the outer faux fur layer of the jacket by sewing up the side seams and closing up the sleeves.

Take your lining layer and tuck it into the coat with the back sides facing so that all good sides are showing. You should have a coat that has two layers at this point. Tuck the lining sleeves inside of the faux fur sleeves.

Tack shoulder seam allowance of the lining layer matched up to the outer layer shoulder seam allowance that has been folded open.

Do the same as step 3 but for the side seams for the few inches above the pocket opening only. This will help the lining to stay in place and not move around or get twisted since we will have an open bottom hem.

Hem the bottom of the inner lining layer by double folding it and sewing a straight stitch across. Be sure to iron it prior to sewing for a clean look.

Finishing (This step requires a lot of hand sewing, It was the easiest way to finish off the jacket with a clean finish for me, but feel free to use a machine for some of these parts if you want!)

Serge all open edges on the outer faux fur layer.

Fold up the bottom edge of the outer layer 1″ and hand sew invisible stitches. You want a seamless outer layer where you can’t see any pinching of the fur.

Hand sew the front most edges of the lining layer to the front panels, tucked under the outer layer seam, be sure to only be sewing through those two layers and not more. Do this to both sides.

Close out the back of the jacket by hand sewing the faux fur Back Panel Inside down on-top of the lining, be sure to be only be sewing through that one specific panel and the lining layer and not the back outer fur panel.

Place and sew your snap buttons. I used 3 but feel free to use more or less to your liking. The jacket is made to overlap so when it is done up the buttons and stitching should not be visible.

Carefully tack down the pockets to the front panel seam at the opening (inside) so the pockets are stabilized.

Optional: tack down the side seams of the inner lining layer to the outer layer to hold it down to the outer layer and prevent any future movement.

Please note: This is a complex project so my advice is to take your time and to carefully pin or tack things in place prior to sewing. A lot of the things I tried I had to redo often as faux fur is quite slippery to sew. I would highly recommend that you have sewing experience before embarking on this Teddy Coat journey. If you have any questions please comment down below and I will try to clarify up the tutorial as needed.

As always, if you happen to recreate these please share and use the hashtag #DECONSTRUT so I can see all your creations! Happy DIY-ing!

]]>https://deconstrut.com/2018/02/diy-teddy-faux-fur-coat/feed/0REVIEW | MEJURI – EVERYDAY ELEGANCEhttps://deconstrut.com/2018/02/review-mejuri-everyday-elegance/
https://deconstrut.com/2018/02/review-mejuri-everyday-elegance/#commentsThu, 01 Feb 2018 12:00:07 +0000https://deconstrut.com/?p=1994Diamonds are a girls best-friend and it couldn’t be more true with the simplistic and minimal pieces that are created by Canadian brand, Mejuri. The fact that Mejuri is created and made in Toronto just makes me love them that much more, I love supporting local businesses! It’s also amazing to see the Mejuri doing more »

Diamonds are a girls best-friend and it couldn’t be more true with the simplistic and minimal pieces that are created by Canadian brand, Mejuri. The fact that Mejuri is created and made in Toronto just makes me love them that much more, I love supporting local businesses! It’s also amazing to see the Mejuri doing so well and garnering international recognition for their fine jewelry, the blog-o-sphere and influencers are all over this brand!

I first discovered Mejuri on Instagram and have collected multiple pieces since and will definitely be ordering more in the near future. I find that minimal and dainty jewelry work best with my style as I don’t tend to have a lot of time to fuss over which pieces of jewelry to wear every day. Everything Mejuri offers, with weekly releases of new styles, I constantly repeating the mantra “I MUST HAVE IT” in my thoughts. With jewelry, I’m the type of girl that: once its on, it never comes off. Apologies to those who get tired of me wearing the same studs week in and week out. But I absolutely love my 360 Circle studs, they give this illusion of gauges, or eyelets being punched into the ear… really stunning, I’ve received endless compliments on how unique they look!

I love that Mejuri provides fine jewelry quality at an affordable price. When you wear the same jewelry everyday, you want to know that it will last and still look just as good on the day you received it. I have always believed that it is worthwhile to splurge on some good quality jewelry as it will last you a life time. The magical numbers of 925, symbolizing sterling silver quality, was ingrained into me since I was pretty young as most cheap metals didn’t react well with my skin (TIP: when thrifting for jewelry be sure to check out the jewelry section for some hidden silver gems!). You will never have to experience grossly green ring marks with pieces from Mejuri. All pieces are crafted out of the finest materials with options for sterling silver, gold vermeil, and gold filled. All priced fairly so that you can have that fine quality jewelry without paying the extra fine high prices.

So the next time you’re in search of a small treat for yourself or gifting a little something to a good friend, I would highly recommend checking out Mejuri! Maybe drop some hints to your partner as Valentine’s day is right around the corner… you may be lucky enough to own something sparkly!

Read on to see how I like to wear my current Mejuri pieces and to see what’s on my current wishlist!

]]>https://deconstrut.com/2018/02/review-mejuri-everyday-elegance/feed/4DIY | MARBLE BULLET JOURNALhttps://deconstrut.com/2018/01/diy-marble-bullet-journal/
https://deconstrut.com/2018/01/diy-marble-bullet-journal/#commentsThu, 25 Jan 2018 12:00:18 +0000https://deconstrut.com/?p=2084New year, new me, means new ways of being organized so I’m trying something, well, new! I’ve finally jumped on board and decided to try out bullet journaling. I’ve been mulling with the idea of starting a bullet journal for awhile, but wasn’t sure if it was for me if I wanted to set one more »

New year, new me, means new ways of being organized so I’m trying something, well, new! I’ve finally jumped on board and decided to try out bullet journaling. I’ve been mulling with the idea of starting a bullet journal for awhile, but wasn’t sure if it was for me if I wanted to set one up and stick to it. But I finally decided that there was no better time than January to start off a new planner! I think the key thing with bullet journaling is to not sweat the small stuff. Don’t be afraid to break the rules and to customize it to your liking. It’s a journal designed by you for you!

Do any of you bullet journal? Any ideas or layouts you recommend trying out? I’m most excited about the habit trackers, I really think that they will help me achieve my goal of getting my splits this year with the constant reminder to stretch daily. The incentive to cross off a box or colour in a square is very enticing, guess I’ve always worked best with a reward based system of encouragement.

I couldn’t find the exact notebook I wanted to use so I ended up customizing my own cover for my bullet journal. The minimalistic-tumblr-loving-girl in me obviously settled on DIY-ing a marble cover to spruce up my plain black cover. I used the same method as this nail art look I’ve done in the past. Super easy and fast to do you may end up wanting to marble-ize everything in your possession!

]]>https://deconstrut.com/2018/01/diy-marble-bullet-journal/feed/2TRAVEL | ARIZONA ROAD-TRIPhttps://deconstrut.com/2018/01/travel-arizona-state-trip/
https://deconstrut.com/2018/01/travel-arizona-state-trip/#commentsThu, 18 Jan 2018 12:00:29 +0000https://deconstrut.com/?p=1915Whenever someone mentioned the desert I pictured the old Midwest. Barren and desolate, with the occasional rolling tumble weeds and ghost towns. When I finally traveled to Arizona to start my roadtrip, my mental picture of the state proved to be false. There was so much more to the landscape and a lot more greenery more »

Whenever someone mentioned the desert I pictured the old Midwest. Barren and desolate, with the occasional rolling tumble weeds and ghost towns. When I finally traveled to Arizona to start my roadtrip, my mental picture of the state proved to be false. There was so much more to the landscape and a lot more greenery than expected. It was the first time travelling I’ve truly felt small and tiny in the world with the views provided by Mother Nature. The scale of the rock structures and vast landscapes reminded me that although the internet has allowed us to think we live in a small world, there are still so many wonders out there waiting to be discovered! Every turn on every hike was just more jaw-dropping sweeping views of desert landscapes.

We had a 10 day trip planned out and it was quite the adventure waiting for us. We flew into Phoenix, Arizona and embarked on our road trip heading to Sedona bright and early the next morning for the first stop of our Arizona road-trip. From there we made our way to the Grand Canyon and Page, and ended off in Las Vegas. Read on to see my must sees at each location!

When we travel, we love to hike and Sedona has so many trails to offer that we didn’t even know where to start! We did some of the most popular ones and the sights were truly breathtaking. Large looming rock structures all around, I have never felt so small.

Cathedral Rock: The most popular trail in all of Sedona, the parking lot gets filled up fast but if you time it right you shouldn’t have a problem. I recommend checking out this trial either first thing in the morning or mid afternoon. Early morning hikers will be leaving around 2/3pm. Best to hit up this trail on a weekday and if you intend to make it to the top, be ready for a climb. A lot of the way up I was on all fours due to the steepness. At the very end of trail you’ll be greeted with the best view in-between the two large rocks that form Cathedral Rock. From there, if you’re curious like us, you can continue around on two small trails to the left and right of the outlook. Hang onto your hats, it’s extremely windy up at the top and I definitely lost my hat for the ‘gram (don’t worry, I did recover it!).

Devil’s Bridge: A fairly short hike, we did this the same day we climbed Cathedral Rock. We did Devil’s bridge super early in the morning to avoid the crowds so we could get those epic shots standing on the bridge all alone. We only crossed paths with a handful of other hikers but as we made our way down to check out the base of the arch the crowds were starting to form. Everyone is super nice and will wait for you to get your shot, but a lot of patience will be needed if you do venture to this trail later on in the day.

Soldier’s Pass & Brins Mesa Trail: This is a long loop, 7 miles, so be sure to bring a lot of water and some snacks! We completed the majority of this within 5 hours. On the hike of Soldier’s Pass you will be able to see the giant sinkhole of the Devil’s Kitchen as well as the seven fairy pools. Unfortunately when we were there, there was no water to be found as it was the dry season so the pools were non-existent. The trail itself is fairly easy and all the way you will see changes in the environment as you traverse Red Rock country. The trail was really quiet only running into a few hikers here and there. I recommend this is you have the time to do a long hike during your stay.

Chapel on the Hill: This is a fun stop and was our first introduction to Sedona. Definitely a high traffic tourist stop but the views here are great especially early evening with the sun lighting up all of Sedona below you.

Food Recommendation: We rented an airbnb with a kitchen so it was super easy to prepare and cook our own meals. There are a lot of grocery store options in Sedona, so it helped cut down on food costs. I highly recommend getting a free Safeways membership card to take advantage of their discounts.

Grand Canyon | South Rim & South Kaibab Trail

Next on our Arizona road-trip was a stop at the South Rim Grand Canyon National Park. I’ve always wondered what was “grand” about the Grand Canyon and that was answered right as I looked over the Rim Trail out into the vast canyon. IT. IS. HUGE! Such a vast and expansive natural wonder. I could feel the tingling feelings of vertigo on the soles of my feet as I approached the edge and looked down to try to see the bottom of the canyon. Let me tell you…. it’s a long way down. We spent the first day in the park just perusing the upper Rim trail and hopped on and off shuttle buses to see the different lookouts. It was amazing to see some of the wildlife, at first I thought the elks weren’t even real with how still they held themselves, but with the blink of an eye they would remind you that they are wild and free.

Rim Trail: I recommend taking some time to walk between outlooks on the Rim Trail. The majority of it is paved near the Visitor’s Center and main central outlooks. I loved the unpaved ruggedness out to the west towards Yaki Point and further. Its the best area to find a secluded edge to yourself to watch the sunset. (But please be careful! Don’t get too close to the edge as unexpected parts crumble all the time!)

South Kaibab Trail: A key thing to remember is that going down is optional but coming back up isn’t! It’s highly discouraged to hike all the way down to the base of the canyon in one day and I would take that warning seriously. We hiked the South Kaibab Trail up to Skeleton’s Point which is around 3 miles down into the Grand Canyon, a recommended stopping point for the trail. The view is incredible and as you travel down into the canyon the colours get more vibrant as the haze melts away. The trail down is a breeze, but be sure to allot enough time and energy to make it back up. It can take 2-3 times the amount of time to hike back up to the canyon rim. I would recommend taking in the sights and pictures on the way down as the way back up is tiring and you may be pressed for time. Be sure to bring a lot of water!

Food Recommendation: We mostly prepared meals and cooked as it was extremely expensive and low variety in food options. I would recommend stocking up on groceries in the general stores within the South Rim park versus what is at Tuscan. Surprisingly the stores in the park carried more variety and options than the small town right outside of it.

Page | Horseshoe Bend & Lower Antelope Canyon

Two key things to see in this small Arizona town, Horseshoe Bend and the Antelope Canyons. There are a lot of slot canyons around this area but the most well known is the Upper Antelope Canyon. Its that well known Windows 7 background of smooth wind and water carved rocks making bends and shadows. Truly an unbelievable sight but with the popularity of both Upper and Lower Antelope Canyon it’s almost impossible to get those perfectly empty shots with no one in them. I recommend signing up for a photography tour if you’re keen on getting those type of shots but if you just want to check out the place, a guided tour will be sufficient. I did the Lower Antelope Canyon and it was truly stunning, just as breathtaking as I imagined, time flew by while down in the slot canyon and it was my first time doing a photography tour. Tonnes of fun and I would highly recommend! Lower Antelope is half the price of the Upper Antelope Canyon but from what I hear they’re both stunning so you can’t go wrong with just doing one. The photography tour I participated in was with Dixie Ellis Tours and I would recommend going with them; my advice is to book ahead of time but walk-ins are also possible.

Horseshoe Bend is free to view and a quick ten minute walk from the car parking lot making it a high traffic tourist stop. Be careful near the edges as there is no railing, I felt a lot less safe at these sandstone like edges compared to the open ledges of the Grand Canyon. Feel free to wander around to see the Colorado bend from all angles. This location is a great place to sit back and watch the sunset, so grab a blanket and spend some time just taking in the view!

Food Recommendation: a highly rated Texan style BBQ smoke house called Big John’s Texas BBQ. Order the ribs, they are fall off the bone good!

In between the drive from Page to Vegas, there are a couple of outlooks along the way. Always fun to stop and take a stretch and you’ll be surprised and what you find. Some of my favourite photos from this trip were taken at the Little Colorado Gorge, an unplanned stop in the road when I saw some stalls selling dream catchers.

Las Vegas | Valley of Fire, The Strip & Ka

Our last part of our trip took us to the adult playground of the world. Though I’m not one for all the indulgences of Las Vegas it was a nice end to the trip with the grand show of Ka by Cirque du Soleil. It was fun to be back in warmer weather and to be relaxing poolside in preparation of returning to snowy Canada.

If you get sick of the loud noises and bright lights of Vegas and need an escape, I recommend checking out the Valley of Fire. It’s a small park about an hour outside of Vegas with bright red rock formations and black stone towers. There are a lot of outlook stops and short hikes to explore. We did the Fire Wave Trail, a short 1 hr round trip on sandy terrain. This area is also a beautiful spot to catch the sunset but be mindful of the time as the park closes 30 mins after sunset.

Food recommendation: is a little place in Old Vegas called Le Thai. I was here once a couple of years ago and in returning for a second meal, it was just as good as I remembered! I recommend any of the curries and be sure to order the mango sticky rice for dessert, its the best thing on the menu and is often sold out!

That concludes our Arizona Roadtrip! If you have any questions or want more details, feel free to leave a comment! Be sure to check out the travel video of the Arizona road trip!

]]>https://deconstrut.com/2018/01/travel-arizona-state-trip/feed/4DIY | LACE UP VELVET CAMIhttps://deconstrut.com/2018/01/diy-lace-up-velvet-cami/
https://deconstrut.com/2018/01/diy-lace-up-velvet-cami/#commentsThu, 11 Jan 2018 12:30:42 +0000https://deconstrut.com/?p=1876Combing two very popular trends this season, I’ve taken lace up details and velvet and placed it all into one great DIY. I love that this top takes on a simple cami/slip shape. By adding the lace up detail, the top transforms into a more elevated and sexy number. I think velvet is a great more »

Combing two very popular trends this season, I’ve taken lace up details and velvet and placed it all into one great DIY. I love that this top takes on a simple cami/slip shape. By adding the lace up detail, the top transforms into a more elevated and sexy number. I think velvet is a great material that looks expensive and gives off a very luxurious aura, its perfect for dressing up any basic outfit! Creating it as I did, I made it so that the top can be worn in two ways, forwards and backwards. You can choose between having the plunging neckline in the front or having it on the back. A super fun way to add more we arability to your clothes! As shown, I’ve styled it with the higher square neckline for a more conservative daytime look, and also how turning the top around can instantly elevate everything to a sexier going out look.

If you don’t feel like creating this top from scratch you can always modify an existing v-neck cami and add in the lace up detailing. The disadvantage of doing so is that you won’t be able to wear it in the two different ways as mentioned above, but feel free to modify existing clothing items with the lace up trend as it is still a hot item this season! Happy DIY-ing!

TIME | 2 hours

COST | $

DIFFICULTY | moderate

What you’ll need:

Velvet fabric

3mm strap material, approx 3 meters

Thread

Sewing machine

Pins

Chalk

Lining material (optional but encouraged)

Ruler

Pattern

Steps:

Create your pattern. I based mine off of the dress I made here, modified it slightly; you can also copy an existing top that fits you nicely, something that isn’t skin tight.

Cut out the pattern pieces out of the velvet material,

For the lining material: you can cut half the length of the plunging v/neckline so that it ends at your waist, for the high square neckline you just need about 2″ of length following the same neckline pattern as the velvet piece. The reason I did not fully line the velvet was to minimize on material and thickness, the lining material is there to help with the necklines to make them look seamless and perfect! Feel free to extend it all the way down if desired.

For the high square neckline piece, sew the darts on the side as a first step before the next step.

Putting good sides facing, sew the necklines of both the front and back pieces with their respective lining pieces, make sure to include straps in the V-neck piece.

Cut notches into the seam allowance on curved edges and corners so everything lays flat perfectly when turned right-side out.

Flip it over and press a seam as close as you can to the inside edge of the lining piece. This will help in maintaining the lining to stay flat, also adds a professional touch/finishing to your top, you can reference this post as I used the same technique to do the neckline.

Hand tack onto the lining side, the lace-up detail on the V-neck piece with the black cord.

Sew side seams together with good sides facing each other.

Sew arm holes, and attach straps to the high square neckline piece.

Hem the bottom of the top with a straight stitch for a flawless finished DIY piece.

]]>https://deconstrut.com/2018/01/diy-lace-up-velvet-cami/feed/2TOP 7 MOMENTS IN 2017!https://deconstrut.com/2018/01/top-7-in-2017/
https://deconstrut.com/2018/01/top-7-in-2017/#respondThu, 04 Jan 2018 02:57:33 +0000https://deconstrut.com/?p=1954Welcome back!!! It’s a new year, with new adventures, new posts, and more DIYs to come. I want to start off the New Year by reflecting on the last for a lot did happen and I thought it would be fun to do a little recap. I’ve always liked looking back and making note of more »

Welcome back!!! It’s a new year, with new adventures, new posts, and more DIYs to come.

I want to start off the New Year by reflecting on the last for a lot did happen and I thought it would be fun to do a little recap. I’ve always liked looking back and making note of things that are special to me so that I don’t ever forget. I find that it’s a great way to see progress, to see how far you’ve come, things you’ve accomplished.

I can’t wait to see what gets unraveled for 2018 and to share it all with you guys! Read on for my Top 7Moments of 2017 which made the past year memorable!

Top 7 Moments of 2017:

Relaunching DECONSTRUT

This past year was the year… that I finally decided to relaunch DECONSTRUT with a new platform and domain so that I could own the rights and name. It was super exciting to be investing and shaping the blog into something I’ve always dreamed of it being. There is still a lot of work to be done, but for now I can say that I am proud to see how far it has come from its 2013 Blogspot days. (Shout-out to those who remember and have been here since 2013!)

Shoes, shoes and more shoes

Prior to the job I have now, I use to be a design intern at ALDO Group. During my time at ALDO, I got to design shoes, sandals, and sneakers for the women’s line. The last project I designed and helped develop got launched earlier this past year. It was super exciting to see a shoe I had a lot of input on hit shelves. I was so excited I ordered the sneakers in both colour ways, since I couldn’t decide which one I liked better. I figured that in the future I would want both in my shoe archive. (Yes, you read that right… in the future I will have a shoe archive because I’m shoe-crazy!).

Also on the note of shoes, a shoe design I submitted to PENSOLE’s 2017 World Sneaker Design Competition made it into the Top 64 for worldwide voting so that was pretty exciting!

Kauai

At the end of April, I got to take my first tropical getaway to the beautiful island of Kauai. So many beaches, and sand filled days mixed with hikes and unreal sights. I would definitely go back in a heartbeat and try my hand at surfing. My favourite photos from this past year were taken in Kauai because it was the first time I took travel photography seriously (see #7). But the part I think I miss the most from the trip are poke bowls from Pono’s Fish Market (yum!). Peek more into my trip to Kauai in these travel posts (1) (2) (3), guaranteed you will have some travel envy.

The Big Apple

The last time I traveled to NYC, I was a mere 14 years-old, and I remember trying to hunt down an H&M store but ended up getting lost on that school trip, ended up late to the MoMA. To say the least, my teachers were not very happy with me. I finally got a chance to go back, to explore and to eat that I’m already thinking that I’ll try to squeeze in a trip to NYC sometime in 2018 because I love the vibrancy of that place so much! If you want to see more about my trip to New York City back in May, hit up this post! If you have any recommendations be sure to leave a comment!

Learning something new

Being back in Ottawa with a full time job has allowed me to spend time on learning new skills. I started taking aerial classes in the summer, and have since fallen in love with aerial hoops and silks but am slowly transitioning that love for acrobatic pole! My climbing background definitely helps with the whole upper body strength needed to lift one-self; but my favourite part is the community around the sport and my classmates. All amazing women and a great support group for you to be yourself and let loose! Yes I have fallen on my face, but you laugh it off and continue trying.

Arizona

The most recent of trips to the desert state left me speechless with the incredible views we encountered! A blog post will be coming shortly sharing more photos from the trip but if you’re impatient and want a peek at the trip, be sure to click here! It was my first time seeing a desert-like environment and I’ve got to say… there was a lot more greenery than I imagined. One of the photographic highlights of the trip would have to be Antelope Canyon as it was my first ever photo tour (but hopefully not the last)! Which leads me to my last top moment of 2017…

Say Cheese!

Throughout 2017 I finally took more interest in photography and creating visual stories. I really fell in love with photography and have more images than I can edit on the regular. I’m always finding so much inspiration and creativity on Instagram it really does push one to try to get better and to try new ways of shooting (like in these shots… taking a page out of Brandon Woelfel’s shooting style).

Photography hobbyists run in my family, and I am now joining the ranks! My dad has always loved photography and his strong points are in landscapes and all that next level knowledge about cameras and photography I barely have a grasp on. It’s something that him and I can now share and talk about on the regular, plus he always hooks me up with fun gear to try out[bonus!]. But most of all, I love that it’s a way for me to share my creativity and life with you guys! So cheers to that as we move onto 2018 for some more insta-worthy shots!

]]>https://deconstrut.com/2018/01/top-7-in-2017/feed/0BEAUTY | #BENEFAVEShttps://deconstrut.com/2017/12/beauty-benefaves/
https://deconstrut.com/2017/12/beauty-benefaves/#respondSat, 09 Dec 2017 02:11:43 +0000https://deconstrut.com/?p=1920With the holiday season roaring, I thought maybe you guys would be on the hunt for some beauty recommendations for that makeup loving friend! I recently received in the mail a box of #Benefaves products and wanted to share my thoughts on these cult favourites from Benefit. Benefit has some super cute gift sets this more »

With the holiday season roaring, I thought maybe you guys would be on the hunt for some beauty recommendations for that makeup loving friend! I recently received in the mail a box of #Benefaves products and wanted to share my thoughts on these cult favourites from Benefit. Benefit has some super cute gift sets this season so maybe these reviews on the cult favourites will help you pick out those perfect gifts for family and friends!

In my #Benefaves box I received the following from Benefit Cosmetics: They’re Real! Lengthening Mascara, the POREfessional face primer, Hoola matte bronzer and the Ka-Brow!

#Benefaves product reviews:

They’re Real! Lengthening Mascara: I’ve had samples of this in the past and my problem with all mascara samples are that they are never waterproof! My tiny straight Asian lashes need a good waterproof hold to maintain curl. But apart from that, this isn’t a favourite mascara of mine; don’t get me wrong, its good! But I’m not sure I would repurchase when there are cheaper alternatives in the drugstore. The mascara itself does lengthen, I love the brush for keeping all those lashes separated and fanned out. Would I purchase? Probably not but if you’re looking for long lashes this might be the one for you! 8/10

The POREfessional face primer: I don’t usually use primers because I don’t wear foundation. But I tried this out under neath some BB cream and concealer and it made my face look oh so flawless! It really fills in those pores and fine lines allowing you to have an airbrushed look to the skin. Works great layered under my existing products so I will definitely be using this again for any special events coming up! 9/10 (just because I don’t think its a daily must have product)

Hoola matte bronzer: When you think Benefit Cosmetics, hoola is definitely one of the first things that comes to mind. This cult beauty classic has definitely earned its place. I was always hestitant to try this bronzer because I thought it wouldn’t appear on my tanned skin tone. I was gladly proved wrong and upon initial application I definitely applied too much. This is one pigmented bronzer and I love the shade. Not too warm, not too cool, its perfect for carving out those cheekbones with a healthy sun-kissed glow. Highly recommend this product 10/10.

Ka-Brow in #5: The colour itself is a lot warmer than what I would use normally. I tend to stick to eyebrow pencils but have definitely been intrigued in trying out an eyebrow gel. I loved that this product came with a built in brush, it makes it super handy and travel friendly. I think its a nice product but I personally prefer a pencil for filling in my eyebrows on the daily. Gel takes a bit more time and effort, and to be frank I’m just not that good at it? 6.5/10

]]>https://deconstrut.com/2017/12/beauty-benefaves/feed/0TRAVEL | WHERE I’VE BEEN AS OF LATEhttps://deconstrut.com/2017/11/travel-where-ive-been/
https://deconstrut.com/2017/11/travel-where-ive-been/#commentsTue, 28 Nov 2017 12:00:49 +0000https://deconstrut.com/?p=1905 So sorry to have been gone for so long, but sometimes life gets busy. I didn’t intend to ghost this platform. Hopefully there are still some of you out there reading! —————————————————– Here’s a video of my recent trip to Arizona! It was incredible and sunny the whole entire time, I’ll be sure to more »

]]>https://deconstrut.com/2017/11/travel-where-ive-been/feed/5DIY | EMBROIDERED STAR TEEhttps://deconstrut.com/2017/10/diy-embroidered-star-tee/
https://deconstrut.com/2017/10/diy-embroidered-star-tee/#commentsTue, 17 Oct 2017 11:00:29 +0000https://deconstrut.com/?p=1856In honor of breast cancer month, I felt like making a bust enhancing tee where the details are all front and center. Two stars right where the nipples are located, a breast friendly tee that’s fun and a great alternative to a basic t-shirt. This is a quick and easy DIY that plays on the more »

In honor of breast cancer month, I felt like making a bust enhancing tee where the details are all front and center. Two stars right where the nipples are located, a breast friendly tee that’s fun and a great alternative to a basic t-shirt. This is a quick and easy DIY that plays on the embroidery trend which is great to do for yourself or as a gift to someone else. Feel free to modify this tutorial to place an embroidery design anywhere you like and have it be anything you like! You could do phrases, roses, multiple stars… your imagination is your own limitation! I chose to do stars since it’s a hot shape for fall and I love that it kind of makes the shirt taboo with their placement (if you know what I mean). Read on to see how I created this embroidered star tee!

TIME | 10 mins

COST | $

DIFFICULTY | easy

What you’ll need:

T-shirt

Embroidery Thread

Needle

Pencil

Star Stencil

Embroidery hoop (optional)

Steps:

Try on your tee and figure out the placement of the stars, I used these star stickers to get the placement right on top of the ta-tas.

Take a pencil and trace around your star stencil (or other shape) to have a light outline to follow when doing the embroidery.

Set up the embroidery hoop if you’d like to use one. Mine was a bit big for what I was doing but still helped in keeping the fabric taunt during the process of sewing.

Take 2 feet of the embroidery thread and tie a knot, start sewing by passing the needle from the inside to the outside of the tee so that the knot is hidden on the inside of the shirt.

Use an up/down sewing method skipping every second stitch.

Once you match back up to the start of the embroidery fill in the empty spaces with the up/down sewing to complete the outlines.

Tie off the end of the thread on the inside of the shirt.

As always, if you happen to recreate these please share and use the hashtag #DECONSTRUT so I can see all your creations! Happy DIY-ing!

]]>https://deconstrut.com/2017/10/diy-embroidered-star-tee/feed/9INSTAGRAM | HOW I EDIT MY PHOTOShttps://deconstrut.com/2017/10/instagram-how-i-edit-my-photos/
https://deconstrut.com/2017/10/instagram-how-i-edit-my-photos/#commentsTue, 03 Oct 2017 11:30:57 +0000https://deconstrut.com/?p=1833Ahhh Instagram, my preferred finger scrolling, double tapping social media feed which tends to occupy the better part of my day; more so than any other platform I must say. Instagram has been getting a lot of love and hate (more hate than love really…) these past few months for the new algorithms. But despite more »

]]>Ahhh Instagram, my preferred finger scrolling, double tapping social media feed which tends to occupy the better part of my day; more so than any other platform I must say. Instagram has been getting a lot of love and hate (more hate than love really…) these past few months for the new algorithms. But despite these struggles from all the changes, I still love finding new sources of inspiration and creativity on that platform. What people are creating around the world is truly astounding!

Being a creative means that I’m a visual person, hence I spend most of my time on Instagram and work hard on honing in on that aesthetic. Now, some people would say that I care too much, and I do to an extent. I will admit that I spend too much time worrying about engagement but that’s just the nature of it when you want to use it as a business tool and it can get frustrating to see the bots and spam accounts ruining the hard-work a lot of people put in. I see this blog and my Instagram as an extension of my portfolio so I want to make sure its something that I’m proud of. With that hard-work I often have people complimenting me on my feed and photos and asking how they too can achieve something similar. So with that I thought it would be fun to share my top secret (not so secret anymore) tips on how I edit my Instagram photos.

Take good photos: This is not to say you need a DSLR camera, but a good phone camera and good lighting are a good start. You can also upload your DSLR photos to your phone but iPhone quality will do just fine. This will allow for more range in post processing to get the most out of a photograph. Its important to have high quality images, nowadays people come to expect it; blurry photos won’t get you anywhere unless you’re Brandon Woelfel with his bokeh magic.

Snapseed: This free google photo editing app is a must. This is usually where I’ll first bring in my photo to adjust overall lighting. One of my favourite tools to use is the Selective tool, it allows you to selectively adjust areas of the photo based on the colour you chose. You can modify brightness. contrast, saturation and structure to make those images pop! The Curves tool is also super handy for those of you who want more control over colours in your photos. If you’re a Lightroom fan this tool will be a good mobile bonus for you if you don’t have a cloud subscription to get the Lr mobile app.

VSCO: A great mobile app for filters. I like to use this for an overall filter to help with making my feed a bit more cohesive. I rarely use the filters at full strength, usually they get minimized to a range of 2-5, depending on the photo. My favourite are the HB series which are free to download from the VSCO store. Be sure to keep an eye out in the VSCO store as they usually have free filter packages in there from time to time. I also find their website of curated work to be very inspiring if you’re looking for photo inspo.

Facetune: Primarily used as a portrait editing mobile app but the tools can be used for different purposes. Don’t go crazy with this one or you’ll look like a Photoshopped plastic Barbie. I use the free version so not all the tools are enabled, but I still find value in the ones I do use in the app. Some great tools in this app are the Whitening tool, to bring white walls or to de-saturate floors and such in photos to bring in more light; and the Smoothing tool which is a great one to help reduce noise in a photo and of course for smoothing out those wrinkles or blemishes.

UNUM: this is a great app to help layout your Instagram feed. I tend to import my edited photos into this app to see which photo flows best, next to, before, after, above and below. It helps to work in photos that deviate more from my feed aesthetic and to place them so that they aren’t as jarring and everything feels more or less balanced. There are a limited number of photos your can upload but you can pay to get unlimited grids and other features.

All these tips are similar to the order I would do/use and apply when editing a photo. A photo edit can range from a quick 5-minute thing to a 20 minute ordeal with five plus versions. Granted this isn’t to say that you’ll need that much time but it’s really up to you to create your own feed. Don’t be afraid to experiment and if you post something that isn’t 100% related to your feed, don’t stress about it. Often times, those photos tend to do better!

Let me know down in the comments what are your favorite mobile editing apps!

If you guys like these kind of tips and tricks post, maybe I’ll post more